Tattooed Attitude
by shiki94
Summary: After so long on the road, Corey Graves finds himself in Raleigh, North Carolina where he takes on a job as a tattoo artist and piercer. On the day of his job interview, he meets a certain raven-haired young woman who seems to be harboring as much baggage as he is. Just what is it that these two are trying to hide and run away from? Rated T for language *Summary may change*
1. Entering North Carolina

**New shiki fic time! Okk. Before anyone says anything, yes I did just recently start a fic that I was going to work on for Christmas, but...the topic that I was basing the fic around is something that requires a bit of research from me, so I hiatused it (and a few of my other fics that I've hit roadblocks on) until I could (hopefully) find some info that'll help me better with my forward path in that fic. So, until then, how's about I give you guys something that's a bit of new territory for me? This fic is a Corey Graves and Paige fic (you don't see too many people write stuff with them together in it, so I decided to just write something for those two...besides, how could you not want to see these two misfits together in fic form?) and I got the idea for this while I was listening to Shannon Moore's TNA entrance theme and reading something on Corey Graves's Wiki page about the fact that he was known for his tattoos (he's also got experience as a piercer...who knew?). Both of these things together are kinda what helped this fic come to life. Now, I was actually surprised that this was the fic that got the most votes on the poll I had up on my page last month, so I hope I can deliver a great fic for you guys' reading pleasure.**

 **Disclaimer: I own none of the characters used in this fic. They are the property of themselves, the WWE, and the various other promotions they belong to. I only own my OC Alex Hardy (who will appear later in this) and the ideas going into the fic. Disclaimer out of the way, I hope you guys enjoy. =)**

"Downtown Raleigh," the bus driver called over the conversations of the bus riders as he let open the doors for those that were leaving the bus. "I repeat, Downtown Raleigh."

Shoving his phone in one of his pants pockets, Corey Graves stood from his seat and, grabbing his bags from the overhead baggage rack, left the bus with the few people that were leaving the bus as well. Hearing the doors close behind him, Corey began to walk away from the departing bus and the bus stop as he took in the sights around him. Raleigh was definitely a different city than Pittsburgh by a wide mile. So far, he wasn't having to deal with many people thinking he was some bum; although, the longer he walked around with two duffel bags of clothes and a backpack on his back, Corey had a feeling that he'd probably have to deal with some of the locals thinking he was some homeless interloper.

' _I just need to find a hotel to stay in for the night. Then I can focus on trying to find somewhere more stable to stay,'_ Corey thought.

Continuing his walk down the sidewalk, Corey did a little more sightseeing before he finally found a Holiday Inn he felt comfortable enough with checking into. Walking through the double doors, Corey made his way over to the check-in desk and, after asking for a room, paying, and getting his room key, got in the elevator and headed up to the floor his room was on. Once the elevator reached his floor, Corey got out and made his way to his room. Reaching his room, Corey slid his room key in and unlocked the door. After opening the door, Corey closed it behind him and, after throwing his three bags into one of the corners of the room, collapsed on the first bed he had laid on in days. Spending his time riding bus after bus had begun to take its toll on the 26 year old and all Corey wanted was to take a shower and spend a night in a comfortable bed. However, before he could do either of those things, Corey had to find something to eat. Looking in his wallet and really taking the time to count his money, Corey found that his cash supply was running low. Luckily for him, he had some Slim Jims, Doritos, and Mountain Dews in his backpack, but even his stores of junk food were running low.

' _I guess another thing I need to take care of is finding a job,'_ Corey thought as he took out the Slim Jims and a Mountain Dew and proceeded to eat his makeshift dinner. After finishing off the last of his Slim Jims and the last of the Mountain Dew, Corey threw his trash away and proceeded to get everything he needed for his shower. Heading into the bathroom, Corey stripped out of the outfit he was wearing, took his shower, and changed into the shirt and shorts he was going to sleep in. Once Corey was dressed, he climbed into the bed after turning off the lights in the hotel room. Before the 26 year old drifted off to sleep, Corey couldn't help but let his worries about finding a job and settling down in North Carolina get to him. _'I can do this. If I can survive the shit I had to put up with back in Pittsburgh, then I can sure as hell survive here,'_ Corey thought as he fell into a deep sleep.

 **Short start, yes, but I'm in the process of trying to get more chapters of this typed up so that I can be a bit speedy with updates (since my update schedule can be a bit horrendous). (Also, this is just my style as a writer, but I'm going to slow burn things.) So, until Chapter 2 (which I already have typed up), thanks for giving this a try and don't forget to R &R please. =)**


	2. Job Hunt Success

**Since Chapter 1 was such a shortie, here's a chapter with _length_ in Chapter 2...and also, we have some character introductions coming in. I hope you guys enjoy reading this. =)**

The next morning, the blaring of the alarm on his phone had woken Corey from his sleep. After finally managing to turn off his alarm, Corey got out of bed and decided to take a morning shower after he brushed his teeth. Once he finished his shower and got dressed in a fresh change of clothes, Corey grabbed his phone and decided to leave the hotel so that he could take off on his job hunt.

A few hours had passed since Corey started out on his job search and so far, he had been striking out; the main problems he kept facing were the fact that most of the places around either weren't hiring, were jobs that he felt he wouldn't be able to hold down, or were places that turned him down because of what the Pittsburgh native was certain was his appearance. Corey had been close to throwing in the towel and just going back to the hotel until he had come across a place that he felt would be a perfect fit for him. Taking a look up at the building that rose up in front of him, Corey saw that the place was a tattoo parlor with a 'Help Wanted' sign in one of the front windows.

 _'This place could work for me,'_ Corey thought. _'I do have my certificate and licensing as a tattoo artist, so why not put it to good use?'_

Pushing open one of the doors, Corey looked around and saw that this place would be a good fit for him and his needs for a job. The inside of the tattoo parlor had pictures on the walls of customers that had gotten tattoos, a few chairs back near where he knew the work would be taking place, a waiting area with books for people that prospectively wanted tattoos to look through, and a receptionist's area, which was currently occupied by a girl who was listening to music and flipping through the pages of a comic book.

Taking a breath, Corey decided to walk up to the receptionist's desk. Once he was standing in front of the desk, Corey decided to take the chance to take a better look at the girl. The girl, who he guessed was the receptionist, had slightly tanned skin, dark brown hair that had red streaks dyed into it, had a piercing on the right side of her lower lip, and was wearing glasses. Corey also noticed that the girl was wearing a Motionless in White t-shirt, a pair of cut-off jean shorts, and a pair of red Converses.

' _Amazing that the people that run this place have a kid running the reception area,'_ Corey thought. Clearing his throat, Corey finally managed to get the attention of the girl behind the desk.

Finally looking over to see that there was a potential customer in the parlor, the girl paused the song she was listening to and closed her comic book, bookmarking the page she was on.

Clearing her throat, the girl looked up at Corey and said "Welcome to Gas Chambers Ink. The place to go when you want kickass tats and piercings done by kickass people. My name is Alexis, but feel free to call me Alex. How may I help you today?"

"Well, Alex, I was walking by on my job hunt and I happened to notice that there was a 'Help Wanted' sign on one of the front windows," Corey said, jerking his thumb back to the window with the sign. "I was wondering if I could get an application for a job here."

"Oh, sure. Just let me get one out for you," Alex said, pulling out one of the drawers and taking out a job application. Handing the application and a pen to Corey, Alex said "Feel free to sit over at one of the tables and fill out the application if you'd like. One of the owners is in the back giving a customer a tattoo and the other employees are out on their lunch break right now. If you don't mind, you can wait for the owner that's in the back and have a talk with him about setting up an interview time."

"Cool," Corey said, taking a seat in one of the waiting areas as Alex went back to reading her comic book and listening to the song she had playing when Corey had first walked in. Corey had spent the next twenty minutes filling out the application when he heard three voices coming from the back.

 _"That looks so good, Jamie."_

 _"I know it does, Angelina. It just stings like a bitch. Thanks for doing my tattoo, Shannon. You and Jesse have the best place around to get tattoos done."_

 _"Good to hear that, Jamie. Just remember what I told you. Keep the bandage on for two hours and once the two hours are over, take the bandage off and make sure you get that area cleaned. Then, after that, make sure you use the ointment Alex is going to give you. Any other questions?"_

 _"None right now, but I'll call you if I have any trouble with it. Thanks again, Shannon."_

 _"No problem, Jamie. Looks like you're getting it just in time for that beach trip Angelina keeps talking about too."_

 _"Mmhmm. It's going to look so good when I model my new bikini."_

 _"And don't worry, Shan. I'll make sure to help Jamie keep her tattoo clean."_

 _"That's good. Now, just go to the front area and pay with Alex."_

 _"OK. I'll make sure to come here again if I want another tattoo."_

Corey had just finished filling out his application when the girls from the back came around the front to the waiting area. He had been looking over the application to make sure he hadn't forgotten to fill in anything when he heard the girls talking about him.

 _"Angelina, see that guy over there?" "I sure do, Jamie. He looks pretty hot." "Don't say that, Ange! He can hear you!" "Well, it's not my fault that it's true. Think he'd date me if I ask him?"_

Speaking up over his frustration at the two girls talking about him, Corey blurted "Not even in your wildest dreams, blondie."

A pained look crossing her face as Jamie laughed, paid for her tattoo, and got the ointment and tattoo care book from Alex, Angelina walked out of the tattoo parlor with Jamie following behind her.

Laughing from her seat behind the receptionist's desk, Alex said "Wow, man. Way to turn down Angelina Williams in her first attempts at hitting on you."

"Girl was talking about me," Corey said, shrugging as he stood up and went to hand Alex his completed application. "I'm not just gonna sit by and let girls talk about me and I'm sitting less than a few feet away from them."

Laughing as he walked around the front of the desk, the co-owner said "That tends to be a bit of a problem me and some of the other guys that work here tend to run into. Most of our female clients just can't seem to keep their eyes off most of my staff. Which is bad since some of us have girlfriends."

"Which, by the way, is a sign to run unless you want to be eye-humped by chicks that want tattoos and piercings," Alex said from her seat.

"Hey, it's nothing I'm not used to," Corey said, shrugging. "Back where I'm from, I had to fight girls off me left and right."

"That's because they must know hot badassery when they see it," Alex said, smirking.

Laughing as he shook his head, the co-owner said "Remind me to strangle Matt and Jeff for even letting you work here, Lexi."

"Hey, _you're_ the one that said you needed help around here, Shan," Alex said, leaning back in her chair. "Ain't my problem that I was one of the only people you trust to work the front area."

"Good point, good point," Shannon said, taking Alex's words into consideration. Turning back to the third person in the tattoo parlor, Shannon held out a hand and said "And since I've been so much of an ass not to introduce myself, let me do that now. Name's Shannon Moore, and I'm one of the co-owners of this fine tattoo parlor."

"Awesome to meet you, Shannon," Corey said, taking and shaking the man's hand. "Name's Corey Graves."

"So, what brings you to my tattoo parlor today? Can't be because you want a tat done," Shannon said, pointing at the various tattoos on Corey's arms and on his neck.

"Actually, I'm here about the job opening," Corey said, jerking his thumb back to the 'Help Wanted' sign again. "I just filled out an application, so I was wondering if I could maybe set up an interview sometime soon."

"Sure. That sounds cool with me. When will you be open for an interview?" Shannon asked, taking the application from Corey.

"Any time this week'll be cool with me," Corey said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Awesome. Will Thursday be cool with you?" Shannon asked.

"Sure," Corey said, nodding his head. Shoving his hands into his pockets, Corey said "Guess I'll be headed off now."

"OK. Well, it was nice meeting you, Corey," Shannon said, waving the younger man off.

"Later, Corey," Alex said, smiling as she waved Corey off as well. "It was cool meeting you. Hope you nail your interview Thursday."

"I plan to," Corey said, smirking in a somewhat cocky yet boyish way. Waving goodbye to Shannon and Alex, Corey left the tattoo parlor, for once feeling hopeful that things would be looking bright for him.

...

Once Corey had left, Alex said "Well, Corey was certainly an interesting dude to see come in today. I don't think I've ever seen him around these parts."

"I don't think I have either," Shannon said. "He's probably new to the city."

"Probably," Alex said, slightly shrugging in agreement. Looking down at Corey's job application, Alex could see that it was filled out for the most part; the only thing about it that seemed a bit weird to the brunette teen was the fact that Corey didn't seem to have much in the way of outside references aside from just one lonely little name.

 **Woohoo! Hooray for new character intros! Let's see...new characters... We've got my OC Alex, Shannon Moore, Angelina Williams, Jamie Szantyr (these two lovely ladies being members of The Beautiful People in TNA), and mentions of a Jesse (who I must point out is Jesse Neal that used to wrestle for TNA as a member of Ink Inc., a team that he was in with Shannon Moore). I have some more character intros to come with (if I remember right) three coming in the next chapter, so be on the lookout for those. ;)**

 **Now, onto the chapter recap. Looks like Corey's job hunt has led him to a tattoo parlor in Gas Chambers Ink (True story: That's actually the name of the tattoo place Shannon Moore owned, although I'm not sure if it's still open. Been a while since I've read anything about it...), where he meets the receptionist, a teenager named Alex Hardy, and one of the owners in Shannon Moore. After some pretty nice and funny conversation between the three, Corey leaves with a job interview and a bit of hope for his time in the Tar Heel state. Meanwhile, back at the tattoo parlor, Alex and Shannon talk about Corey and how he seems like a pretty cool guy. And, while Corey's job application seems promising, it worries Alex a _tiny bit_ that Corey only has one name in for his references. What could this mean? Is it something good or something bad? Who knows? You'll have to read on to find out. Until my next update, don't forget to R &R please. =)**


	3. Corey's Big Interview

**New chapter of Tattooed Attitude and that means...more character introductions! Yaay! I hope you guys like who I bring into the fold next. Something's telling me that one character that I intro is one that some of you guys have been waiting for to make an appearance. ;) My spastic and weird Author's Note out of the way, enjoy the chapter, my dolls. =)**

Lying on the bed in his hotel room, Corey was still surprised by how well his talk with one of the owners of the tattoo parlor he applied for a job at went. He was a bit worried that his near lack of references on his application would've knocked him out of the running for the job, but, thankfully, no such thing happened...well, at least no such thing had happened _yet_. Wanting to fight back some of the negativity that was starting to feel build inside himself, Corey shook his head and reached for his phone to make a phone call that he had been meaning to make since yesterday. Scrolling through his list of contacts, Corey finally found the number he had been meaning to call. Dialing the number, Corey got comfortable in the bed as he turned on the hotel room's TV and just aimlessly flipped through the channels before stopping on a movie channel that was airing The Big Lebowski. He had just gotten into what was happening at the start of the movie when he finally heard a voice on the other end of the call.

 _"Corey?"_ a female voice asked on the other end of the line.

"Hey, Alexa," Corey said, smiling at the voice.

 _"Corey! Oh, thank God! I'm so glad you finally called!"_ said the voice belonging to Corey's sister, Alexa, sounding very relieved to finally hear from her older brother. Her tone taking on a more stern note, Alexa said _"You had me worried_ sick! _You just up and disappeared without so much as a phone call! Then you go for days without so much as a text!"_

"I know, sis, and I'm _really_ sorry," Corey said. "I just had to get away from Pittsburgh. Plus, it doesn't really help that I've pretty much been riding on a lot of buses lately."

 _"Buses? Why didn't you just take the train to where you are now? Wouldn't it have been much quicker?"_ Alexa asked.

"It would've, but I wouldn't have had anyone to meet me at the station," Corey said.

 _"What about cousin Amy?"_ Alexa asked. _"If you had called her, I'm sure she would've offered to meet you at the train station."_

"I was considering calling her, but then I remembered that she was gonna be on the road with her band for a few weeks," Corey said. "It's cool, though. What's important is that I'm here in North Carolina now and I'm in one piece."

 _"Well...that's good, I suppose,"_ Alexa said, sounding relieved for her brother. _"So. How've things been going for you down there?"_

"Pretty good, actually," Corey said. "Even though I've only been here for a solid day, I've already applied for a job."

 _"Really? That's great, bro! Where'd you apply for a job?"_ Alexa asked.

"Why don't you take a guess before I tell you?" Corey asked, smirking a bit.

 _"Hmm... Well, I know you wouldn't dare take a job that would require you to wear a suit every day. And a good many other places just seem out since you've got so many tattoos... Oh! Did you perhaps apply for a job at a tattoo place?"_ Alexa asked.

"Yep," Corey said, smiling around a laugh that came out once Alexa was finally done guessing.

 _"That's awesome, Corey,"_ Alexa said. _"Do you know anything about when you're going to have an interview?"_

"I set up an interview for myself on Thursday, so, some time that day, you'll be getting a call back from me about whether or not I got the job," Corey said. "Then, if I get the job, I can start wiring you some money up there for you and Carmella to use."

 _"Thanks so much, Corey,"_ Alexa said, happiness evident in her voice. Hearing a voice calling her, Alexa said _"That's Carmella now. Bye, Corey. I'll try to call you tomorrow. Good luck with your interview Thursday. Love you."_

"Thanks, sis. Love you too," Corey said, ending the call. Once the line had went dead, Corey pulled his phone away from his ear and set it down beside him as he turned his attention to the movie. As he watched the movie, Corey couldn't help but have a few tiny lingering shreds of doubt abou his coming interview. The last time he had to do something like this was when he got the chance to work at a tattoo parlor back in Pittsburgh when he was working to get his tattooing license and certificate, but...there was just something about the fact that he was doing all of this in a state that was so many miles away from home that it worried him. He had a feeling that this was just nervousness trying to settle in, so he just pushed these negative thoughts away as best he could because the last thing he wanted was to screw up getting a job in the place where he was trying to start a new life for himself. He'd never be able to forgive himself if he had to go back to Pittsburgh after all of the travelling he had done to get away from there.

The next two days passed fairly quickly as before Corey knew it Thursday came. And with it came his big job interview. After getting out of bed, showering, and getting dressed, Corey inspected himself in the mirror before, feeling comfortable in the red, black, and white plaid shirt and dark blue jeans he was dressed in, leaving the hotel and making his way to Gas Chambers Ink. As he made his way through the throngs of citygoers that were going about their own individual days, Corey couldn't help but wonder just how his interview would go. Shannon seemed like a cool enough guy to work with and work for, but...he couldn't be too sure. After all, the last time he was so trusting of someone that he had worked for, things didn't exactly seem to end well. Shaking memories of that time out of his head, Corey focused his mind on his coming job interview. Arriving at Gas Chambers Ink, Corey took one final breath before pushing open one of the doors and walking inside. The main parlor area seemed to be empty except for someone that wasn't Alex sitting at the receptionist's desk, possibly writing or drawing something in a book. Walking forward, Corey could see that this was a different person entirely as the person sitting there was a woman that had long black hair with some streaks of blue dyed into it, pale skin, and was dressed in a long-sleeved dark purple tie dye shirt with a design of butterflies that made up a skull, a pair of black shorts, and a pair of black boots that went halfway up her calfs with the most noticeable thing about this woman being that, despite the fact that she was wearing long sleeves in fairly warm weather, she had a fair amount of her hair brushed over most of the right side of her face. Deciding to just not question why this woman was making such bold style choices, Corey cleared his throat in the hopes of getting the woman's attention.

Hearing a sound directly in front of her, the woman jumped in place a bit, startled by this sound. Looking up from the page of her book, the woman said, in a voice that had a fairly strong British accent, "Oh! Hello. Welcome to Gas Chambers Ink. My name is Paige Bevis. How can I help you today?"

"Hi, Paige. Um. I'm here to talk with Shannon about a job interview I set up with him a couple of days ago," Corey said.

"Okay. Sure. No problem at all. Um, let me just go to the back and fetch him for you," Paige said, closing the book she was working in, rising from the chair she was sitting in, and, putting her book in the chair, headed to the tattoo area and, a few minutes later, came back with Shannon and another man, the other man having blonde hair that was pulled back into a somewhat messy bun and was dyed purple and blue and was wearing a blue muscle shirt with some type of cross as the design and a pair of dark blue shorts that showed off a tattoo on his lower right calf. After bringing Shannon and this other man out, Paige quickly took her seat back at the receptionist's desk and, reopening the book she had, went back to whatever she was doing before Corey came in.

"Corey! Good to see you again, man," Shannon said, smiling as he greeted the tattooed brunette. Gesturing to his left, Shannon said "Corey, this is one of my friends and one of the other employees that works here. Jeff, this is Corey, the guy I told you about the other day."

"Nice to meet you, man," the blonde man, known as Jeff, said as he held out his hand. "Like Shan just said, I'm Jeff. Jeff Hardy."

"Nice to meet you, Jeff," Corey said, taking and shaking Jeff's hand as something hit him. "Wait. Hardy. Are you related to the receptionist kid Alex that works in here?"

Laughing a bit at what Corey said, Jeff said "Yep. Although, "related" wouldn't be quite the right word to use here. It's more...Alex is adopted into my family. I could tell you the story, but it'll have to wait. It's a bit of a long one and I wouldn't want to bore you with it."

"Sure," Corey said, feeling his curiosity piqued a bit about the relationship Alex had with Jeff and his family. Changing the subject without trying not to force it, Corey said "So. I'm here for my interview today."

"Oh, yeah, your interview," Shannon said. Pointing with his thumb to the back, Shannon said "Just come with me to my office, and we can have your interview back there."

"That's fine with me," Corey said, shrugging in agreement. Taking one last look back at Paige, Corey followed behind the two blondes as they went to the back so that they could get his job interview underway.

...

Hearing the footsteps of the three men retreat to the back, Paige looked up from the book she was working in. It had definitely surprised the Brit to see this new stranger, this...this Corey guy walk into the tattoo parlor today, let alone just talk to him so normally, but...it felt pretty nice. Usually the raven-haired woman was so used to people being gentle with her when it came to socializing with her, so to talk to someone like Corey-even if it was just a bit of business talk-felt a bit nice. Returning her gaze back to her book, Paige continued working on what she was doing as she thought _'I hope he can get the job. Seems like working here would be perfect for him.'_

 **So, to recap on the new character front, we have the introductions of Corey's sister Alexa (who is Alexa Bliss...IDK why, but she just seemed like a good fit for Corey's kid sister), Alexa's friend Carmella (...well, more of a mention in Carmella's case), Corey and Alexa's cousin Amy (the Amy here is Amy Dumas AKA Lita, to clear this up), Jeff Hardy, and...*le drumroll*...Paige! Now, to recap this chapter's events. Corey finally calls his baby sister to let her know that he made it to North Carolina safely (and, as it would appear, Corey hasn't called the poor girl in days, so this was a relief on Alexa's front) and that he has a job interview coming where, if he can hook the job, he can wire money back up up to Pittsburgh for Alexa and her friend to have to use. What an awesome older bro. Fast forward a couple of days and we get to Thursday where Corey's ready for his interview, however, he seems to be having a few nagging negative thoughts about stuff that happened in Pittsburgh before he left. Shaking that all away, Corey makes his way to Gas Chambers Ink where he heads inside and is surprised to see a receptionist that isn't Alex working the reception desk. After making introductions, Corey finds out that this new receptionist (who is making some rather bold fashion choices) is a pale Brit by the name of Paige Bevis. Once Corey lets Paige know about his interview with Shannon, she goes to the back to get Shannon and another man, who introduces himself as Jeff Hardy, Alex's adoptive older brother. After the three men exchange greetings, Shannon elects to take the interview back to his office so that he and Jeff can talk with Corey and see if he's got the stuff to be working in their shop. And, after the three men are gone, Paige finds herself thinking and hoping that Corey gets the job. Aww, how cute and nice. Now, for some questions. Just why is it that Corey even decided to make the move to North Carolina? What happened while he was in Pittsburgh that's given him such bad vibes about trusting people? And just why is it that Paige A) is wearing such unique attire, B) has her hair styled in such a way, and C) seems a bit tense and shy when it comes to dealing with new people? These questions and more to be answered in coming chapters. So, until then, don't forget to R &R please. =)**


	4. Job Interview Success

**Okk, my dolls. Sorry for being a bit late with my update for this. I rocketed right out the gate with working on this and then the evil being known as School got in my way for a bit. That and some...personal stuff. 0x0" *coughs* Fear not, though. I will try not to have such a bad update schedule going forward...especially since I'm really going to have the story start with this chapter. Le Author's Note out of the way, enjoy, my loves. =)**

Following behind Shannon and Jeff, Corey and the other two men soon arrived at Shannon's office. Stepping inside the room behind both men, Corey looked around the room and saw what looked to be a fairly basic office, only with some very unique decoration choices: The walls were painted almost in a way that seemed like a graffiti-covered wall of an abandoned building, there were a few picture frames lining the walls, a bookshelf lined one wall that with a wide variety of books, there was a desk near the window in the room that was surrounded by a few chairs, and there was a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall back near the door where Corey and the others just walked in. "Nice office, Shannon," Corey said. "Especially the walls. Whoever did all of this must be pretty damn talented."

"Thanks, Corey," Jeff said, beaming proudly from where he was standing.

Turning to look over at the blonde, Corey asked "Wait a sec. _You_ did all of _this_?" as he gestured at the walls around the room.

"Yep. Well, I didn't do it all by myself," Jeff said. "I had the help of some pretty great artists, one with the designs and one with the actual painting."

"Wow. Wish I could meet those awesome artists," Corey said.

Chuckling a bit, Jeff said "You already have, man."

"I have?" Corey asked, slightly raising an eyebrow in confusion. This didn't seem to make any real sense because...well...he had only been in Raleigh for a few days now. How could he really know anyone when he just barely knew the people that worked here at Gas Chambers Ink?

"Yeah," Jeff said, nodding his head. Still seeing that Corey seemed a bit confused, Jeff said "I'll have to tell you some time soon, man. It's another kinda long story."

"OK," Corey said, giving Jeff a nod. Taking one last quick glance at the art on the walls, Corey took a seat in one of the chairs on one side of the desk with Shannon taking the seat on the other side and Jeff taking one of the chairs and moving it so that he was nearly on the side Shannon was on.

"So, now that we're all here, we can get this interview started," Shannon said. "Now, Corey. Tell me. What brought you to looking for a job here?"

"Well, I was walking around here on a job hunt, but I couldn't quite seem to find anything that really seemed to stick for me. Then I happened to find your parlor here," Corey said.

"Well, it's not like I try to hide my place," Shannon said, grinning a bit. "After all, in case you haven't noticed, some of us here like to stand out."

Laughing a bit, Corey said "I can see that. In case you haven't noticed, I'm about the same way myself."

"We see that, man," Jeff said, grinning a bit as he pointed to the many tattoos covering Corey's arms and his neck.

"Back on track here," Shannon said, despite the fact that he was liking the sense of friendship that was beginning to blossom between he, Jeff, and Corey. Once he had Jeff and Corey focused back on the event at hand, Shannon said "So, Corey. I was looking over your application, and I happened to notice that you only had one name up here, a Mr. Dean Rawley."

"Yeah. Dean was one of my former co-workers back in Pittsburgh," Corey lied. "I would've added more names there, but I wasn't really close to that many of my other former co-workers." ...And he wasn't exactly lying here.

Nodding his head, Shannon said "I see. Well, we called Dean yesterday, and he vouched pretty strongly for you. Dude seemed pretty hyped up when he was talking about stuff you two did together in high school and college."

Chuckling a bit, Corey said "Yep. That's Dean for you. Dude gets pretty hype about stuff and he tends to have pretty good mojo with stuff, but he's a good guy" as he thought back to some actually pretty fun times he and Alexa had with Dean and their other friends back home in Pittsburgh.

"We could tell that," Shannon said, thinking back to the...rather animated talk he and Jeff had with Dean the day before. "With all of that vouching and the years of experience you have under your belt with tattooing and even piercing, you seem like a perfect fit for working here."

"Plus, we could use all of the help we can get since we're a bit short-staffed around here," Jeff said.

Hearing what both Shannon and Jeff said, Corey hesitantly asked "What...what are you two trying to say exactly?"

"What we're trying to say is that you got the job, man," Shannon said, smiling. "Even though you don't have much in the way of references to go off of, your experience in this field speaks for itself. We'd love to have you work here at Gas Chambers Ink."

Corey couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was actually thinking that his lack of references would've automatically gotten him one of the shortest job interviews he ever had in his life. So to be hearing now that he got the job was a _huge_ surprise to him. Finally managing to find his words, Corey couldn't help the smile that started to split his face as he said "Thanks so much for this! I promise I'll be a hard worker. You two won't regret this, I promise" and shook Shannon and Jeff's hands.

"We know we won't," Shannon said as he shook Corey's hand with Jeff following suit. "So, if it's cool with you, can you come in tomorrow? Just so we can show you some of the ropes of working here and so that we can introduce you to some of the other employees that work here."

"That'll be fine with me," Corey said. Saying his goodbyes to both blondes, Corey turned and headed out of the office and back to the front, trying his best not to start jumping around the place like an excited little boy. Once he got back to the front, Corey saw that Alex was standing at the receptionist desk having a pretty easygoing conversation with Paige, who was still sitting. It seemed fairly surprising to the Pittsburgh native to see a woman that he had just met this morning have such a seemingly huge shift in her behavior. Walking up to the desk, Corey said "Well, hello, girls."

Turning in the direction of the voice, Alex grinned and said "Corey, hi! What brought you here today?"

"Just got out of my interview," Corey said, beaming with pride.

"Aaaaand...how'd it go?" Alex asked, feeling very curious to know.

"Let's just say that, starting tomorrow, we're gonna be co-workers," Corey said, grinning widely.

"Really? That's awesome, Corey!" Alex said, excitedly. "An awesome dude like you, working at an awesome place like this...it's just an awesome fit all around."

Laughing at Alex's enthusiasm, Corey said "Yep. I hope we can all work together pretty well."

"I know we will, Corey. You seem like a great guy, so I can't wait to work with you. I also can't wait to see some of your work," Alex said, smiling.

"Thanks," Corey said, his grin softening into a smile. Holding his hand out, Corey said "To working together."

Taking and shaking Corey's hand, Alex said "To working together."

Once he and Alex finished their handshake, Corey held his hand out to Paige; but to his surprise, Paige seemed to draw back a bit as she averted her gaze to her hands, which were folded together in her lap.

Seeing this reaction, Alex soothingly said "Paige, _Paige_. It's okay. Corey just wants to shake your hand. That's all he's going to do" as she rested a hand on Paige's shoulder.

Looking up to Alex and back to Corey's still outstretched hand, Paige slowly reached for Corey's hand and, once she closed her hand around his, shook it up and down as she said "To working together with you, Corey."

As he shook his hand along with Paige, Corey still couldn't help but wonder why Paige seemed so hesitant to shake his hand in the first place. He wanted to question this, but now just didn't seem like a good time. There'd always be time in the future for such questioning; so, for now, he'd just work on getting the hang of his new job and getting to know his co-workers. Taking his hand out of Paige's grip, Corey said his goodbyes to the girls and left out of Gas Chambers Ink. Stepping out into the warmth of the Raleigh afternoon, Corey let his smile take root back on his face as he made his way through the citygoers as he headed back to the hotel so that he could call Alexa and let her know about his success with his interview.

...

Looking at the door as it closed, Alex said "Corey seems awesome already. I can't wait for tomorrow to see how he does." Looking down and over to Paige, Alex asked "You looking forward to working with Corey, Paige?"

"I...I guess I am," Paige said, clasping and unclasping her hands together and apart. "I'm just...I'm just feeling nervous about the whole possible experience. You don't think I'll be too much of a distraction for him, do you?"

"What? Paige, no, of course not," Alex said, trying to reassure Paige. "Why would you even think such a thing?"

"I don't know. I guess it's because I'm like...like _this_ that I'll end up attracting a lot of his focus from his work. That or just get a lot of extra attention drawn to myself," Paige said as she gestured to herself.

"Paige." That was all Alex could say as she heard what her friend said. It was nothing in the way of a real secret to the brunette that her older friend had some issues she was trying hard to work through; but the fact that she was beating herself up over the very distinct possibility of letting someone new into her personal bubble just seemed pretty upsetting for Alex to hear. She was on the verge of saying something in response to what Paige said when the front doors swung open and two women walked in, one of them, a ponytailed brunette, saying "Hey, guys!" while the other, a blonde, said "Hey, Paige. Ready for class?"

"Sure, Em," Paige said, rising from her seat. Grabbing the notebook she was working in earlier and pulling a messenger bag backpack from under the desk and slinging the bag over her shoulder, Paige said "I'm off. I'll see you at home, Alex."

"OK. Have a good day at school, Paige. You too, Bayley and Emma," Alex said to the brunette and blonde respectively.

"Thanks! See ya, Alex," the brunette, Bayley, said, waving goodbye.

"Later, Alex," Emma said, following suit. "Oh! I made cookies before I left and left them on the counter. They're in that Care Bears bowl of Bayley's, so they're yours and anyone else's for the eating."

"Awesome! Great to know that I've got a snack waiting at home when I get off. See you guys later," Alex said. Waving the three older women off, Alex took the seat behind the receptionist's desk and settled in for the hours she was going to be at work for. Reaching into her backpack and pulling out the comic book she was reading, Alex opened the book to where she had her bookmark in and, pressing Play on the computer's music player, picked up where she left off in her book as she let her talk with Paige play through her mind. It really did distress Alex at times that Paige seemed to always be down on herself, but it's not like Alex could do anything about it. All she could do is hope that maybe, in time, Paige will finally start to come out of the negative box she seemed to have placed herself in; but until that day came, all Alex and everyone else around her could hope for is that Paige would eventually come out of her shell in her own time.

 **Woohoo! I've got more characters introduced! Just to say this now, the fair maidens I introduced in this chapter, they will make a number of appearances throughout the story, sooooo...I hope you guys will like to see just what Bayley and Emma bring to the fic. Yay, Corey nailed his job interview! =D Guess it helps that he's got a friend with such good and hype _mojo_ to vouch for him. (Corey: Cute pun. Me: Thanks.) After letting Paige and Alex know that they're gonna be co-workers going forward, Corey and the girls proceed to share handshakes, just like he did with Shannon and Jeff. Alex cheerily reciprocates while Paige has a rather...odd reaction, said reaction being that she kinda flinches away from Corey's handshake; it isn't until Alex gives a reassuring talk that she finally returns Corey's handshake. Once Corey leaves, feeling positive, Alex and Paige have a talk where Alex tries to do some more reassuring, but ultimately resigns and leaves things hanging as she sees Paige, along with Bayley and Emma, off to class as she settles in for her shift. Now that Corey's got the job, let's see just what's to come with him working at Gas Chambers Ink and getting along with his fellow co-workers. Until then, don't forget to R&R please. =)**


	5. Down Time and Relaxing in Raleigh

**So, after a bit of delay on my part (I'm very sorry about that!), here's Chapter 5 of Tattooed Attitude. This chapter's basically gonna be a bit of a cooldown chapter before next chapter and Corey's first official day working at Gas Chambers Ink. Just a _teensy_ warning. There's a bit in the way of angsty feelings later in the chapter. That warning out of the way, I hope you guys enjoy this. =)**

Leaving Gas Chambers Ink, Corey was feeling on top of the world. He really was feeling nervous that his lack of references would've been a major problem. So, to hear from Shannon and Jeff that he got the job was some of the best news Corey had heard in a _very_ long time. He could just imagine the reaction Alexa was going to have when he called her and let her know; with his luck, he'd be able to make it through the phone call without Alexa blowing his eardrums out.

Since there was still time in the day, Corey decided to do a bit of walking around before he headed back to the hotel to better get himself acquainted with the city. ...Well, that and because he wanted to get something to eat for lunch soon since he hadn't really had much to eat today. Pulling out his wallet and checking how much cash he had on hand, Corey saw that he had a few bills, most of them being fives and some coins, on hand. _'At least this'll be enough for me to get food until I start getting paid,'_ Corey thought. Putting his wallet back in his pants pocket, Corey kept walking along until he came across a diner that didn't seem so crowded. Hearing his stomach growl just from him looking at the diner made Corey feel as though this would be a good place to eat at. Pushing open the door, Corey stepped inside and looked around. He didn't really have much in the way of expectations going in, so it was nice to just look around and see that the diner just looked like a regular diner: There was a long counter that could seat quite a few people, there were a few booths wrapping around the walls of the diner, there was a hallway leading back to where the restrooms more than likely were, there was a windowlike space that had a long counter in front of it where people could see into the kitchen area...just your typical neighborhood diner.

"Good afternoon! Welcome to Mae's Diner and Restaurant!" said a rather perky voice to Corey's left.

Jumping a bit in surprise over hearing this voice so close to him, Corey turned immediately and saw the source of the voice: Standing behind the podium that was near the entrance was a girl with lightly tanned skin and long, curly dark brown hair in a ponytail that fell past her shoulders. Judging from the height of the girl and what she was wearing-a pink graphic tee that had a design of a cat dressed like an astronaut on it, a pair of dark blue knee-length capris, and a pair of low-top tennis shoes-Corey figured that maybe she was still in high school. Clearing his throat to get rid of the few remaining shreds of surprise that were in him, Corey said "Good afternoon. And thanks for the welcome."

"No problem," said the brunette. "Is it just you that's going to be eating today, or are you waiting for other people to come meet you?"

"It's just me. No one else," Corey said.

"OK. Just go take a seat at one of the empty booths and I'll be over shortly to take your order," said the brunette.

"Thanks," Corey said. Turning on his heel, Corey walked over to one of the booths that was up against the far side of the diner and took a seat there. As he got comfortable in the plush leather seat and grabbed the menu that was at the table, Corey began to think about just what he was going to eat. This would technically count as the first actual meal he had gotten in days, so he wanted it to be something good.

Walking over to where Corey was sitting, the brunette from the podium said "OK. To redo our encounter at the door, welcome to Mae's Diner and Restaurant. My name is JoJo and I'll be your waitress today. Can I start you off with something to drink while you decide what you want to order?"

"Sure. I'll take a Coke," Corey said, looking up from the menu.

"OK! I'll be right back with your drink," the brunette, JoJo, said. Turning on her heel, she walked over to where the fountain drink machine in the diner was.

Once JoJo was gone, Corey pulled his phone out and sent a quick text to Alexa. _'Hey, sis. Got some big news for you. I'll call you later and let you know.'_ Putting his phone down on the table, Corey sat and thought about his day so far as he waited for JoJo to bring his drink to him. He still couldn't believe his luck. All in the course of one day, he had gotten a new job and made more in the way of friends. But, the true test of things would come tomorrow when he would meet his other fellow co-workers at Gas Chambers Ink and begin to work with them.

...

Standing in front of the mirror in one of the bathrooms in the Hardy house where she was staying, Paige brushed her hair back from her face as she pulled it back into a ponytail. Looking at her reflection, Paige honestly couldn't help but cringe at what she saw: She had always been told by Alex, Bayley, Emma, and the others that she was beautiful, but...she couldn't help but feel that they were just saying that to make her feel better. After all, they didn't have to deal with having a large birthmark cover and mar almost half of their faces. She had tried so hard to ignore people saying something about it or staring at it, but...really...what _could_ she do? She thought she would've gotten used to the awkward stares and the hushed talks about her after so many years...about her self-perceived "deformity"...but she hadn't. And now she was going to have to deal with a new co-worker in Corey tomorrow. She wanted to believe Alex and the others that Corey was going to be a great co-worker and that he'd become just as much of a friend to her as a lot of the others at Gas Chambers Ink had. But, honestly...Paige didn't believe that. If anything, she was fairly certain that if he could ever see the true Paige, he'd just have a huge, seemingly neverending pity party for her. Doing her best to shake this niggling bit of doubt away, Paige proceeded to pull her pajamas on that basically consisted of a short-sleeved t-shirt and a pair of shorts. She felt better in clothes like this because she could actually show her body and not feel so self-conscious...especially since she was at home and around her friends. Walking out of the bathroom, Paige headed downstairs and into the kitchen where she saw Emma and Alex at work at the stove while Bayley was sitting at the kitchen table, playing a game on her phone.

"Come on, come on, _come on_! ...Oh. YES!" Bayley practically shouted at her phone screen. Looking up from her phone, Bayley saw that Paige had came and joined them. "There you are! We were wondering what was taking so long, Paige."

Laughing a bit at her friend's concern, Paige said "No need to worry about me, Bayley. I was just having my nightly confrontation with the monster in the mirror."

"Paige. You really shouldn't talk about yourself like that," Alex said from where she was stirring something a pot that was almost about to boil on the stovetop.

"Yeah, I know, Alex. "You're a beautiful person, Paige. Don't let what people have said about you get in the way of you living your life." Honestly, I still don't really buy that load you and the others keep saying," Paige said, resting an arm on the kitchen table and resting her head in that hand.

"It's like we keep saying, Paige. You should. After all, you can only let what people say about you do so much in the way of getting to you. You're not the only one that's gotten harrassed by people," Emma said from where she was slicing some chicken that had already been cooked. Respectively pointing the knife she had at herself, Alex, and Bayley, Emma said "After all, you're in here with The Crocodile Hunter's kid, an orphan that was rejected by her own parents, and a woman child."

"Technically speaking, I wasn't rejected by my parents, Em. My parents passed away when I was a kid. So, technically, that makes me an orphan that had parents that loved her a lot," Alex said, lightly elbowing the older blonde as she laughed a bit.

"And there is _nothing_ wrong with me acting like a kid at times!" Bayley said, a touch defensively. "It makes me an awesome babysitter _and_ something that's going to be a big help for me in the future with my future career choice."

Laughing at her friends joking with each other, Paige sat at the table and talked with Bayley as she let her thoughts drift back to Corey. He seemed like a nice enough guy. And, the way that he was talking with Shannon, Jeff, and Alex showed that he was already getting on pretty good terms with them. So...if they could all start to get along with Corey, then she could too. After all, since they were going to be working together, she felt that she should do her best to get over her anxieties with meeting new people. It was all just going to take some time and _a lot_ of effort on her part.

 **So, one more character intro in JoJo, who's a waitress at the diner Corey went to go eat lunch at. I plan on at least giving JoJo a bit part in this because...c'mon, JoJo's just too adorable to leave out. But, we'll see. Corey's got a call to make, but, first things first for the Savior of Misbehavior, and that's feeding his body. He seems to be on cloud nine, so it seems like he's had a pretty good day. =) We jump to Paige and we get a glimpse into just why she has a unique way of styling her hair: She's got a birthmark that she doesn't like looking at. Poor thing. =( It's a good thing that she's got good friends like Emma, Bayley, and Alex to help her feel better about herself when she's had a self-pity party (although, one would think it's kinda weird that that Emma and Alex's way of "helping you feel better about yourself" is to put themselves down a bit...but, *shrugs*, it works, so don't question it, I suppose). Next chapter's gonna (hopefully) be Corey's first day at work, so until then, don't forget to R &R please. =)**


	6. First Day At Work

**Ready to see how Corey's first day at work goes? Read on to find out below and enjoy, my loves. =)**

Waking up the next day, Corey showered and got ready for the first day of his new job, working at Gas Chambers Ink. It was still fairly surprising to the tattooed man that he had gotten the job in spite of his limited references, but he wasn't going to question it. After all, with his prior experiences and work ethic, Corey felt he was a more than capable and qualified person for the job, so today he was going to get the chance to prove it to his new bosses and co-workers. After getting dressed in a plain black t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans, Corey grabbed his phone, wallet, and room key and left his room to begin his walk to Gas Chambers Ink. As he walked along, Corey could only wonder what his first day on the job was going to be like. Maybe he'd have to work under one of the other tattoo artists there, or maybe he'd just have to help out with some small stuff there like assist customers that came in. Whatever the job, he'd do it to the best of his ability and not complain about it. _'After all, it's the least I could do to prove myself to Jeff, Shannon, and everyone else working there,'_ Corey thought to himself. Reaching the tattoo parlor, Corey pushed one of the doors open, stepped inside, and was immediately greeted by the sight of Alex helping a customer out with the stuff they were going to need to care for their tattoo. Looking ahead to the back work area, the tattooed brunette could see that Jeff and a couple of other tattoo artists were working on a few more customers. Stepping up to the receptionist's area, Corey caught the tail end of the talk Alex was having with the customer.

"I still can't believe you got something like 'Drug Free' tatted on your knuckles," Alex said, looking at the customer's, a man with shoulder-length black hair and who was wearing a dark blue shirt and black shorts, newest tattoos. "Doesn't that hurt?"

"Nah, not so much," the customer said, shrugging. "When you've gotten as many tattoos as I've gotten over the years, you get used to the sting of the needle."

"If you say so," Alex said, still staring at the man's tattoos before finally managing to look away and look up at the man. "So, do you think you'll be able to work tomorrow?"

"More than likely, I will," the man said. "I'm no newbie when it comes to getting tattooed, so once I can let my fingers heal up, I should be good to go with using them tomorrow."

"OK. But, make sure to call Jeff, Shannon, or Jesse if you can't make it tomorrow. Just so that they can know ahead of time if they'll have to call anyone to cover for you," Alex said.

"Yes, mom," the man said, sharing a laugh with Alex as he took the ointment and care book from the younger brunette. Turning around, the man said "Oop! Sorry, man. My bad."

"No worries," Corey said, waving off the near collision. Watching as the dark haired man walked out of the parlor, Corey turned to Alex and said "Morning, Alex."

"Morning, Corey," Alex said, smiling up at the Pittsburgh native. "Ready for your first day of working here?"

"You bet," Corey said, smiling. Jerking his thumb back towards the door, Corey asked "So, I'm guessing that guy is one of the other employees that works here?"

"You'd be right in saying that," Alex confirmed with a nod. "That was Phil Brooks, but, a lot of people call him Punk. I think it's because of his style or something like that. Whichever you choose to call him, he'll be cool with it."

"I'll be sure to settle on a name tomorrow, then," Corey said, filing this bit of info away. "So. Where do I start working?"

"Well, since Punk's got today off, Shannon might have you working his chair today. I'd go ask him first, if I were you, though," Alex said.

"Cool," Corey said before he headed back to Shannon's office. Making his way back to where he remembered Shannon's office was, Corey knocked on the door and waited until he could hear Shannon say "Come in". Grabbing hold of the doorknob and giving it a turn, Corey pushed the door open and saw Shannon sitting behind his desk. Giving a wave of his hand, Corey said "Morning, boss."

"Morning, Corey," Shannon said, smiling and returning Corey's wave. "Ready to start you first day here at Gas Chambers Ink?"

"Yep," Corey said, nodded. "So, where do you want me working today?"

"Well, since one of my usual artists is out because he got a tattoo of his own today, so I was thinking maybe I could have you work his chair today," Shannon said.

Letting out a bit of a laugh, Corey said "Alex told me the exact same thing when I first got here. Guess she's thinking like a boss should."

Laughing a bit himself, Shannon said "Yeah, that's Alex. She may not look it, but she's got a good head for things are supposed to work."

"If you don't mind me asking, just how old _is_ Alex?" Corey asked.

"She's 18 years old, so it's fine that she's working here," Shannon said. Seeing the look of surprise on Corey's face, Shannon let out another laugh and said "Yeah. That tends to be the general reaction when we tell people how old Alex is. She looks so young, so people just tend to think that she's still about 13 or so."

"Trust me. I think I can relate a bit there," Corey said. Seeing the look of slight question on his boss's face, Corey said "Back where I'm from, I have a younger sister who's 20, but there are people that still tend to think she's a teenager herself. It's always funny listening to my sister prove them wrong."

Laughing a bit more, Shannon said "Well, she sounds pretty great. If you ever plan to, you ought to invite her to come visit you here. I'm sure she'd like seeing her brother at work."

"I'm sure she would, Shannon," Corey said, smiling as he thought of Alexa. "Well, I guess I should get to working now."

"OK. Good luck with your first day. And, make sure you hang back after we close. I'm gonna need to talk to you about something," Shannon said.

"OK," Corey said, before turning and walking out of the office. Heading back around to the front of the parlor, Corey took a breath in and let it out as he thought _'Well. Here goes nothing. Time to start my first day at my new job.'_

After arriving in the morning, the tattooed Pittsburgh native settled into helping work with the other employees of Gas Chambers Ink. Around when everyone was taking off for a lunch break, Corey was introduced by Jeff to two of the other tattoo artists, a bald man with a short beard named Raymond Rowe and a tall woman with long black hair with red streaks dyed into it with some shaved off on the right side of her head and the rest was combed over to the left named Jessicka Cricks. Making his own personal introductions, Corey eased into talking with the two, Jeff, Alex, and Shannon during lunch. As it would turn out, the tattooed man got along pretty well with two of his fellow co-workers, with one of the main things that helped them establish a bit of a friendship with the two. Once their break was done, the group went back to work up until the parlor closed at 8 that evening, with Paige coming in at around 3 in the afternoon to relieve Alex of her post for the day. All while Corey worked and talked with his co-workers and the customers he tattooed-many of them being female, something Jeff and the others couldn't help but laugh a bit at; even Paige shared a laugh with the others-he started to feel like he did when he was working at the tattoo parlor he worked at in Pittsburgh. Sure, the clientele wasn't exactly the same, but everyone that came in seemed pretty cool, and that was something he really liked. ...Well, he could do without a lot of the flirting-subtle and not-so subtle-from some of the female customers, but he felt that'd be something he'd _probably_ get used to in time.

When 8 o'clock came around that evening, Shannon closed up the shop and, after everyone was done cleaning up, the day's money was all accounted for, and left, it was just Corey and Shannon left. Looking to the taller man, Shannon said "Well, I'd say today was a success for you, wasn't it, Corey?"

"It was," Corey said, grabbing hold of the take-out container of pasta that he didn't finish eating during his break earlier and the bottle of water he had . "Although...looking back on things now, I was honestly thinking that you and Alex were joking at the whole "Beware the eye humpers" thing. Thought that was just something you guys said to spook new employees."

Laughing at what Corey said, Shannon said "Nope. I mean, I guess the slight flirting is most the ladies' way of saying thanks for their tats, but, sometimes, some of the girls just go a bit overboard."

"I'll make sure to file that away for later," Corey said. "So, was there something you wanted to talk with me about?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, right," Shannon said, suddenly remembering what he wanted to talk with Corey about. "I was going to ask you about days during the week you'd want to work. If you don't know right off the bat, just let me know tomorrow, and I can work on fitting you into the schedule."

"Cool. I'll, uh, be sure to let you know tomorrow. I don't even know when I want to work, to be honest, so maybe after I sleep on it, I'll know," Corey said.

"Great. Well, that's all I have to talk about with you for now. I'll see you tomorrow...let's say tomorrow afternoon at 3, around when Paige comes in. Saturdays tend to be pretty busy since it's the weekend, so we could use all the artist hands around we can get," Shannon said.

"Sounds good to me," Corey said. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"OK. Be safe on your way home," Shannon said, waving goodbye.

"Thanks. You do the same, boss," Corey said, waving back to one of his bosses. Walking away from the tattoo parlor, Corey let a triumphant smile slide across his face. After a long day of tattooing and getting to know some of his new co-workers, Corey was feeling on cloud nine right now. And considering the fact that Shannon was already trusting him to help with busier days at the tattoo parlor was having Corey feeling even more determined to work hard at his job. With luck, when he could eventually get paid, he could send some money back home to Alexa and have some to keep for himself. All it was going to take was keeping up the good work and working well with everyone else.

 **...OK. So, I know that it was pretty bare bones-y what all went into Corey's first day, but I feel it was best to go this route so that I could move into some of what I have planned for the next chapter. But, hey. At least we got to meet three more of Corey's co-workers in Raymond Rowe (check him out in Ring of Honor (ROH), he's cool), Jessicka Cricks (better known as Jessicka Havok, or Havok), and Phil Brooks (known to the world as CM Punk...yeah, I had to include him). And, it looks like Corey had a pretty good first day. I mean, he had to deal with some of the lady customers flirting with him, but at least he blew it all off. With more work on the horizon, seems like things might be looking up for Mr. Graves. So, until the next chapter, don't forget to R &R please. =)**


End file.
